Cynthia J. Hutchinson

The reflection integration model: A process for facilitating reflective learning

Abstract One of the goals of teacher education is to develop each preservice teacher into a reflective educator. A reflective educator is a lifelong learner who perceives every experience as an opportunity for growth, change, and development of understanding. As a result of our teaching experiences in the College of Education, we have developed a process that helps students become reflective learners. In this article we discuss this process, the Reflection Integration Model (RIM). The four components of the model are (a) pre‐experience, (b) experience, (c) reflection, and (d) integration. While the model is germane to any experiential‐based learning, in this article it is applied to a field experience for preservice teachers.

Using a Data Chat to Teach Instructional Interventions: Student Perceptions of Data Literacy in an Assessment Course

Recent public policy and research aimed at addressing student-achievement accountability in education may make it prudent for teacher-education programs to explicitly address data literacy as a valid outcome for their graduates. This article examines the changes in perceptions of comfort toward data-literacy behaviors before and after an instructional intervention called a Data Chat for students in a teacher-preparation program. The results suggest that the intervention increased student perceptions of comfort in performing those data-literacy behaviors required for successful data use as a classroom teacher. We contend that data literacy is the new literacy for the next generation of teacher-education graduates.

Using Graphic Organizers to Develop the Cognitive Domain in Physical Education

Physical education is one of the few disciplines that can provide children with educational opportunities to develop in all three domains: the psychomotor, affective, and cognitive. Students develop in the psychomotor domain as they gain balance, eye-hand coordination, agility, muscle strength and endurance, and flexibility and as they learn individual and team sports skills. They learn cooperation, a work ethic, good sporting behaviors, perseverance, and how to be a competent team member by developing the affective domain in a quality physical education program. Physical educators traditionally have focused on these two domains (i.e., the psychomotor and affective). However, in order to affect the whole child and provide students with a comprehensive learning experience, the physical educator must be able to assist in the development ofanalytical, creative, and evaluative thinking skills by using strategies that are designed to develop the cognitive domain. Physical educators can enhance the cognitive domain by providing their students with opportunities for creative expression, brainstorming, and using problem-solving skills (Bellanca & Fogarty, 1991). The cognitive domain is also improved when students practice their ability to compare, contrast, analyze, sequence, and evaluate ideas, thus enhancing their understanding and developing skills that they can use in other areas of life. Physical educators can borrow useful strategies from educational psychology in order to reinforce academic and cognitive skills by using graphic organizers for planning and teaching. Therefore, the focus of this article is on the use of graphic organizers in physical education.